Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Coppernose in Central VA

Hey guys so in my quest to grow giant bluegills in my 3 acre pond in central VA, I've been researching the benefit of coppernose. Many people have advised that I may be too far north to benefit from their genetics. I've found an interesting website that will compare the climate of two cities. My area is very close to the same climates in parts of AL, and NC where giant coppernose have been grown, no more than 3-5 degrees difference. What are your thoughts??? Even if I get a season or two of them before a freak cold snap, and subsequent fish kill, wouldn't I benefit from their genetics hybridizing with my current northen stain bluegill?

That is not how it works. The CNBG may do fine in your location. The problem is the closer they get to their environmental limits the less well the genetics do (they don't meet their potential). That means that the CNBG (or any fish at its environmental limits) do not perform like they do at the optimum location. You don't get the growth/size benefits without the negatives of poor cool water survival. There are lots of unknown genetic traits and which one's manifest is highly uncertain.
You may end up diluting the potential size and robustness of your BG by injecting CNBG genetics that do not maximize potential in your location.